Revolution 1 ?

[Alex D]

Come to find out of all things that a neighbor of ours has an old original Revolution 1 in the attic.  Is there any sense in buying it? Can you describe the changes to the 1.5 and how it compares to the 1.5?

Thank you!

[Bunduki Vlieger]

Durch die größere Segelfläche fliegt ein I evtl. bei weniger Wind als ein 1.5. Allerdings ist das ein Traktor. Ist auf jeden Fall ein anderes Fliegen. 

[midibot]

The Rev 1 is 9 feet across, whereas the 1.5 is approx 7 1/2 feet. So size is a major difference. Perhaps sail material as well, as chances are the sail may be ripstop nylon (although there may be icky versions in later years, I don't know). Nylon gets soft with flying time. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Slower kite, perhaps a little less agile although tuned and in good hands and the right wind it can still zip. As Bunduki says, it pulls like a tractor comparatively. I think the first one I flew was on 150# lines, unlike the more common 90/100# for the 1.5 versions I am familiar with.

I am not a quad expert by any means but I do love my Rev 1 very much and I would be all over such a kite as you describe in your circumstances if the price was reasonable commensurate with condition.

Exciting find, IMO.

.

[Caller Stephen]

The original Rev 1s (first known as Neos Omega) had a different bridle that required the flying lines to be of different lengths so if you buy it you might have to put extensions on the bridle connection points, which were aluminium rings so that the lines could be attached by clips. There was a wooden kiteline winder. I also believe that the original Rev 1s had external aluminium ferules in the leading edge rather than internal ferules and were 4-wrap. The sails were made of carrington nylon. The endcaps were aluminium.

Later Rev 1s had a bridle that was designed for equal length flying lines and without the aluminium rings for line connection. Also other sail materials were used including mylar for some panels at one stage.

It should still be a good kite to fly and own. Just bear in mind that the early bridle will need extending to fly off equal lines.

[Bunduki Vlieger]

Photo Summer: The right original Rev I (LE below) is a tractor. The one on the left is a Heinrich Hohmann Rev I and flies like a feather with little wind.

Photo Winter: On the ground is a KQK Supervented Rev 1.5, built for strong wind. It builds up a lot of pressure. Above is a KQK 1.0 (both built by korvokites.de) - also a masterpiece: bigger, more sail area but much lighter and more elegant to fly.

[Alex D]

I offered him $125 for the kite. He’s thinking it over. 

[mebeatee]

As mentioned before re the original Neos Omega and early Rev 1's had different bridles and clip attachments. I removed the metal clips and added leaders to my initial Rev 1's for equal length lines.

There were different panel layouts and sail materials over the years. I quite enjoyed the old "soft cloth" Rev 1's. Sold 3 of them....2 of the 3 panel ones and 1 "hot" Sedgwick that I vented and have kept 3. These daze I have a cool Sedgwick 1, a Robertshaw 1, and a 1 sized Zen.

Check some history here... https://revkites.net/  They used to have a graphic timeline of the evolution of the kites....that was pretty cool.

I'm a diehard and still like the 1 best, followed by the 2, and then the 1.5's. Most of my Revs are 1.5's....go figure...however still after 20 plus yrs of flying them they....1.5's....still, and are to me a (good enough) compromise between the 1 and 2...with the 1.5 being the "best" of both worlds....hence all the new models by many companies now staying at the 1.5 size. However it's those differences I like.....

Which is a drag in a way as there are new generations of Rev fliers that may never experience the amazing precision and slowness of the 1 and sheer speed and quirkiness of a 2. (I have 4 Rev 2's....1 single panel that I vented and 3 Sedgwick style sails).  Rev still makes a quasi sized 1, but I'm not in the market for one at this point in time however.

Scoop that sucker I would say!!!!!! Only if it's pretty as they had some pretty horrid colour combo's back in the day....;)

bt

 

 

[Alex D]

This one is not branded Neos Omega. It says "Revolution" then "Revolution I" and "T300 High Modulus Graphite Pro Series" on the sail. I think it's a 1991 model. He also has the print manual and a Revolution Training video VHS tape with it.

[midibot]

 

What is the sail colour pattern?

Here is a link to another neat history site, this one by John Mitchell.  In particular, the Rev 1 section (there is also a separate section on rods, which may help pinpoint the age):

http://johnnmitchell.com/IntSportKites/rev_history/r1.html

You can scroll through by year to check the colour schemes for various models.

Good history on the other Rev designs as well, such as the II and the 1.5

(It was cool to read that early rods were made by a golf club shaft manufacturer.)

.

 

 

[Alex D]

Purple sail body with pink corners

[Edmond Dragut]

yep, is one of the most common combination colors in Rev I.

I see most of quad fliers like Rev I and i may say I love it, is mi preferred kite under 8 Mph. For one of mi Rev I i use graphite frame and i fly it under 3 Mph on 50 Lbs lines anywhere between 30 to 120 fits

is fly gracefully, slow and steady (like a Cadillac) but if you like you may force him to any speed you want changing a bit the setup of the lines (less breaks) on handles or couple different length pig tails attached to the bridle 

[John Barresi]

I flew Rev 1 until 2006 when I switched to the 1.5 and never went back - it all comes down to personal preference, but the "V point" is much higher on a Rev 1 than it is on a 1.5 giving the smaller kite a bigger belly (true center sail where the logo is). 

When the belly is really small like that, there isn't much of a central engine so the R and L wings tend to act more like independent engines behind the leading edge, with the proportionately bigger belly on the 1.5 it creates more of a central engine (if tuned right) and less competition between each wing.

Again, it really depends both on what you like the feel of and what your skill / understanding of the platform is - I'm just sharing my taste and findings. ✌️

[Alex D]

I thought for $125 (if he sells it) its a nice piece of history in my bag ... and I thought it's worth it ... that's really the only reason I offered him the money for it. It's in good shape and has hardly been flown the way it looks.

[Alex D]

9 hours ago, midibot said:

Very cool site! Thank you!

------------------------------

What is the sail colour pattern?

Here is a link to another neat history site, this one by John Mitchell.  In particular, the Rev 1 section (there is also a separate section on rods, which may help pinpoint the age):

http://johnnmitchell.com/IntSportKites/rev_history/r1.html

You can scroll through by year to check the colour schemes for various models.

Good history on the other Rev designs as well, such as the II and the 1.5

(It was cool to read that early rods were made by a golf club shaft manufacturer.)

.

 

 

 

[mebeatee]

15 hours ago, John Barresi said:

I flew Rev 1 until 2006 when I switched to the 1.5 and never went back - it all comes down to personal preference, but the "V point" is much higher on a Rev 1 than it is on a 1.5 giving the smaller kite a bigger belly (true center sail where the logo is). 

When the belly is really small like that, there isn't much of a central engine so the R and L wings tend to act more like independent engines behind the leading edge, with the proportionately bigger belly on the 1.5 it creates more of a central engine (if tuned right) and less competition between each wing.

Again, it really depends both on what you like the feel of and what your skill / understanding of the platform is - I'm just sharing my taste and findings. ✌️

You are exactly right John re this....independent sails on the old Rev 1's, and for me that is an advantage as my Sedg 1 has a 2 wrap....the only Rev I have that only has one frame in the bag. I'm so used to flying this in puffs of wind using the independent engines as you say.

The Zen and Robertshaw 1 have the bigger bellies and I like them with a little more wind and as you say comes down to personal preference. I'm a slooooow floaty flier as well so there ya go.

bt

[Edmond Dragut]

4 hours ago, mebeatee said:

You are exactly right John re this....independent sails on the old Rev 1's, and for me that is an advantage as my Sedg 1 has a 2 wrap....the only Rev I have that only has one frame in the bag. I'm so used to flying this in puffs of wind using the independent engines as you say.

The Zen and Robertshaw 1 have the bigger bellies and I like them with a little more wind and as you say comes down to personal preference. I'm a slooooow floaty flier as well so there ya go.

bt

you are right, i think flyers who are not so energetics like John like Rev 1 and Zen for that that high quality of  "low speed", yes is a personal preferences and i will ad is also an age limitation at one point 

[midibot]

Heh-heh. Took the words right out of my mouth, Edmond. Although I was a little reluctant to say it (till now I guess!).

John pushes the limits in seeking performance. We are beneficiaries of that.

But some/many of us are quite content to get the peace and serenity offered by some of our older kites. (And that is not to say that the two approaches are mutually exclusive, either.)

Out of this discussion I have learned that perhaps I should pay more attention to the idea of the two separate wings, or 'engines', that the Rev 1 has, or has more of. Never thought of it that way. But, in fact, weren't early variants of quads of this type just two diamond kites stuck together at their bottome? Or something like that....

 

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